HENDERSON THE RAIN KING

If this 1959 novel, one of Saul Bellow’s most beloved, seems to have exceeded its shelf life, it helps to remember that much of the absurdity is intentional: Many believe the title character is a send-up of Hemingway. Joe Barrett is an excellent choice as the narrator of this tale about a rich American who journeys into remotest Africa. His gruff voice is well suited to Henderson, a physically large and garrulous man with a penchant for bombastic dialogue and philosophical ramblings. The voices Barrett gives to the African characters—notably the western-educated King Dahfu—are hardly authentic, but they’re not grating, and some of the discordance can be laid at the feet of Bellow. D.B. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2009]